How to ACTUALLY get songs to Sync/Download on Your iPhone SOLUTION

[Chad451]

Getting songs to download/sync on your iPhone is a constantly recurring problem with Spotify.  Nothing drives users more crazy than hitting download on a playlist only to find the songs aren't downloading, meaning they aren't playable on your iPhone.  And the "solutions" to fix this problem that are offered on this forum range from the laughable (turn your computer off/on - delete Spotify and reinstall) to the downright dangerous (I've seen people recommending your mess around with or delete files on your computer's operating system.  Crazy and irresponsible nonsense!). 

Here is how you ACTUALLY solve this problem and it is SO SIMPLE.  

Go to SETTINGS on the Spotify app on your iPhone.  Scroll down to LOCAL FILES and when you open it make sure the toggle is switched to "enable sync from desktop."  (This enables discovery of local files to sync from a desktop machine on your local network running Spotify).

If this isn't turned on - you CAN'T DOWNLOAD/SYNC songs - it simply won't work.  Yes, it's that simple.

[jisun6g]

It doesn't give me the option to "allow from desktop" and I have it turned on...

[Kiril]

Hey @jisun6g, 

Welcome to the Community and thanks for getting in touch.
 

The way Local files work has been changed recently, so please check our updated FAQ for iOS devices here.

If everything looks okay with your local files on your desktop, please make sure that those files are also copied onto your mobile device's memory as well, as thy need to be present physically on the streaming device of choice. 

Note: "Show Local Files" option on your Spotify app always needs to be toggled on the particular device in order to discover and play them. You can find more information about Local files here as well. 

Hope this helps. Let us know if you have any other questions. 

[Nikodaddy]

Thank you for this solution, Chad 🙂 Worked like a charm.

@Spotify: Incredible that something this simple isn't solved by you. I got a warning saying the file wasn't synced, but no suggestion to enable local files on the phone. You're making your product worse by not helping people use it right.

[Nikodaddy]

There's no option to "Accept as Solution" anywhere. What I assume is an automatic message is misleading and not helpful at all.

[sabrod21]

life saver

[Atomi_X]

listen i tried all that stuff. A family member showed me how they did it and it worked but when i tried it no dice. i can go onto  a deep explanation. i downloaded the song all that. i can play it on my pc and everything goes smoothly. then i try doing it on my phone. it dont work so please tell me what im doing wrong.

[imannnjada]

open spotify on your phone and go to devices -> connect to a device-> devices menu ->the device where the local file audio is located should pop up (make sure its connected to the same wifi as your phone). 

then play the local file audio on your laptop or a device (that's not your phone) and look on your iPhone is should show its playing on a different device and it will give you an option to continue listening on your phone and it should then show a + sign on the right which then allows you to like it and then download it..

just did it and it worked for me.. hope this helps!!

[OrthogonalUser]

So this just worked for one of my locally stored albums and I cannot get it to work again lol. Somehow this process did get the file to download locally to my iPhone through the Spotify devices link. I will keep at it.